Born in Fire, Raised in Wonder
by FreeGrain
Summary: "When Yang was young, all she remembered was flames. Her whole world was fire, bright and shining; but also wicked and harsh. The blaze scorched the earth and everything in its path withered. Nothing was left behind but ash. Ash… and Yang." Now, a young explorer ventures out into the new world. What will she find in this new world? {HIATUS} {Freezerburn} {Weiss x Yang}
1. Chapter 1

When Yang was young, all she remembered was flames. Arching tongues of fire leapt through the sky like an arrow aiming for the sun. Her whole world was fire, bright and shining; but also wicked and harsh.

The blaze scorched the earth and everything in its path withered. Nothing was left behind but ash.

Ash… and Yang.

It had come out of nowhere and no one knew where it came from. Some said it was the "cleansing"; the final stage where humanity was truly at its worst and the gods tried to wipe the slate clean. Others said the sun was too strong for the atmosphere and it burned so viciously that it set their world aflame.

There were theories and tales, but no one knew the truth. Yang never even left the island or heard the tales. As far as she was concerned the world as she knew it was destroyed and she was all that remained.

Yang was human, she was certain of that one thing. Before the flames, before the brightness, she had a family. A small one consisting of just herself, her dad and her little sister. Occasionally her uncle dropped by to pay them a visit. She always loved Uncle Qrow and his tales.

But the day the fire swept through their land, she lost them. She didn't know if they lived and escaped to the mainland or if they'd died and joined the ashes in the ground. There was no way for her to know.

The fire didn't hurt her. As a child she wandered across the barren land without fear of being hurt. She stepped in cooling pools of lava and they were like warm water to her. She was immune to the flames and their power.

It was wonderful in a way. She sat by a burning bush and could put her hand in without fear. She could jump into the lava and go for a warm swim.

For what the world had become, she'd become like a god. Fire leapt under her command. When she willed it, flames exploded. It was her power, her strength. The flames were friendly.

But she never had to use it. There was no one out there to threaten her. To hurt her or make her scared.

Her only enemy was loneliness. For years she never saw anyone, any person or living creature. No plants grew either, except the occasional withered tree.

Sometime during the fire, she'd gotten turned around and with everything turned to ashes, she was lost. She had no idea which direction was towards the sea or more inland.

Patch wasn't a large island but for a child, the trip across could take months. WIthout a goal or destination, she wandered. She wandered for she didn't even know how long.

When she reached the other side, her eyes widened at the darkened sea. Ash had turned the sea grey. As far as she could see there was just grey and black. The occasional spark of red and then nothing.

With nowhere else to go, she turned back inland.

Now eighteen, Yang realised she was truly alone. This wasteland was her home.

And when tiny lizards with rippling tongues of fire approached her, Yang realised what this place really was. It was the ashes of a civilisation but also the birthplace of a new habitat. Her world.

Slowly the fire-creatures grew to trust and took her as one of their own. Yang became more beast than human. And she stayed, because she was happy there.

* * *

Almost all civilisation had been destroyed when fire tore through the world. Some people retreated to the sea, fire's natural enemy, to ward of the flames while others hid underground, in deep nests of caves.

Atlas only moved higher into the icy mountains to where they could not reach them.

Weiss had been young when her family travelled into the mountains. She remembered standing above in the clouds while fire raged beneath her. It was like being a god, standing above the world while it burned.

She remembered being fascinated by the colours and the beauty of destruction, even when it raged over her hometown. Fire was destructive but it was also enchanting. She couldn't take her eyes off it. She used to sneak out at night to sit on her roof and watch it.

Golden twists and flares burned through the night, sending off endless hisses of smoke. It was the most wondrous thing she'd ever seen and she was in love.

Years later, Weiss had grown up watching the fire below die down until it was nothing more than a couple of sparks. She'd grown up wishing to explore the wastelands.

Because through the smoke and the haze, she glimpsed movements. Something was living in the flames, something that logically couldn't exist but they did. No one knew a thing about the new land below them and she was determined to be the one to discover it.

So when the call came for young adventures to volunteer to journey into the wastelands, she leapt at the chance. Her father had been against her, her whole family had.

But Weiss was eighteen and free of any restrictions they tried to impose on her. Not one of them were going to stop her. She signed up the day the call came out.

The youngsters were assessed and Weiss, with her natural affinity for fencing and using dust, passed with flying colours. All of the chosen were partnered with another. They had to looked out for each other and protect each other from whatever dangers lay out there.

Her partner's name was Ilia, a pretty chameleon faunus whose eyes shone with passion. Ilia wasn't originally from Atlas but after the flames, she had grown up with them; unable to return home.

Years of forced cooperation meant that the Altesian people were more than comfortable faunus at this point. Groups like the White Fang didn't exist anymore. Weiss still held a tiny bit of fear inside her but it melt away when she saw Ilia's soft smile.

She grew to both trust and love Ilia. And Ilia grew to trust and love her too. They were the best of friends, each others only friend.

But neither of them cared. Their bond ran deep enough that Weiss knew she didn't need other friends as long as she had Ilia. And Ilia, Ilia swore she'd never leave her side.

The day of leaving arrived quicker than she realised. The years of training were over in a heartbeat and then the day arrived. They stood at the wall, a barrier created in an effort to separate the new mountain kingdom and the wastes beneath. It had been over a decade since any soul had passed over it. The air was high with tension.

Weiss held her rapier's handle with one hand and Ilia's hand with the other. Her partner was nervous, like most people around them. But Weiss felt only excitement. She'd never felt like this before. Never before had she felt happier.

And it was the most wonderful thing in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

"It's different than I expected," Ilia admitted as they walked by a lake of fire. "It's… so beautiful…"

She wasn't wrong. Weiss couldn't believe her eyes. They'd been walking for about an hour now; a hour had passed since all the pairs had left and descended down the mountain. They'd since lost sight of the other pairs, having gone different directions.

The land surrounding the mountains should have been familiar to her but they'd become unrecognisable. There was no snow anymore, despite the calendars signalling winter. It was her homeland, the ground should have been covered in snow.

The flora was different from the pasy. She hadn't even thought there'd be plants living here but there were, by some miracle. Odd, leafless trees grew in patches, with thick trunks and curving branches shaped like fingers. Pausing by the side of the lake, Weiss dropped into a crouch.

"It is," she agreed, reaching a hand out. What looked like flowers were growing by the edge of liquid fire, sparking faintly. They weren't green, instead they were a dark brown with fragments of glowing red.

Her fingers brushed the leaves and the heat surprised her. Everything lived off fire here. It was woven into their makeup.

Ilia crouched down next to her, already taking down notes in her notebook. "It's quite something, huh?"

This was the first expedition they'd officially planned. They were supposed to return to the Atlesian mountains in a week from now, to report their findings. From there, more decisions would be made.

The heat was something she'd expected but it wasn't as bad as they thought. It didn't burn nor did it drive her back to the colder peaks. Living down here was seeming more and more possible.

"I wonder if any of these are edible," Ilia commented. "Or if we can grow food in this ground."

Weiss wondered too. That would be a huge factor in whether the wastes were safe. In the mountains, food and water were gathered from the receding glaciers and soft ground. She could see neither here. She couldn't remember even seeing water. Could plants grow without a source here or would they have to pipe it down?

Shaking it, she looked back up. "Let's move on."

Ilia helped her stand and they kept walking.

Several hours of walking quietly, taking in the world around them. Luckily for them, the air had been tested so it wasn't poisonous. It was, however, heavy to breathe in as opposed to the fresh mountain air.

"Where will we sleep?" Ilia asked, slipping an arm into hers. "Night ought to be coming soon. We'll need to set up camp."

Weiss chuckled, leaning to her. Ilia flashed a brief shade of pink before returning to her normal tone. "I don't know. The landscape is so different… shelter would be nice but is it needed? It's so warm and there's nothing to hurt us for miles."

They did indeed opt for shelter, to be practical. They found a sheer cliff face down a way, dotted with the same tiny fire flowers. It was as good a place as any.

Weiss set down her pack and unrolled her bedsheet. She doubted she'd even need the cover with the world as it was. Maybe to keep her clean from the ashen soil but other than that it was unneccesary.

"Hey, Weiss?" Ilia called over from where she lay.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we'll be able to see the stars from here?"

Weiss glanced over at her. "We'll have to wait and see."

It turned out night didn't get much colder. The drop of temperature was noticeable but not significant. Another point Ilia recorded. It felt weird sleeping out without a fire. She hadn't been camping much before the flames consumed the world but she'd gone once or twice with her sister.

Ilia sighed gently, rolling over in her sleep. Weiss felt a hand brush her waist, drawing her closer. It surprised her. Despite all their friendship and training, Ilia had never fallen asleep next to her before. Out here, the world was different. Things were different now and they weren't the same anymore. Weiss fell asleep curled against her.

* * *

"Are those animals?" Ilia gasped, skin running a flush of orange. "I think they're lizards…"

They'd risen with the sun, ground getting too warm to be comfortable sleeping. It was just where they'd just chosen to sleep, in the path of the rising sun's rays. It was good though; they needed to be up and leaving. They only had so long before they needed to return.

Setting off in the same direction, they headed down a hill with no clear destination in sight. The odd mix of wasteland and flame biome stretched as far as the eye could see. And then seemed to drop and she could see now.

Weiss wondered if they'd encounter the sea. And what happened to it. They were heading that way, though they still had a while to walk.

A tiny creature darted by them, heading for one of the charred trees. She was right. It was a living creature, lizard in appearance but she could never be sure.

"Life here is possible," Weiss said in amazement. "It has to be."

Excitement started to brim in her chest. This was the reason she'd signed up for exploration. The coming to of life and what could exist was mind blowing. The fire that swept through the world was horrible but this was maybe one good thing. The discovery of new creatures.

"This is huge!" Ilia gasped, quickly sketching out a rough diagram. "I… I could go home. My people could still be alive."

One of the things Ilia rarely talked about was her home. It brought up memories of the past that she thought she'd lost forever. But with this, Weiss wondered if there were others out that lived. Her best friend's family might be alive and wondering whatever became of their daughter.

"That's… great news!" Weiss gasped.

How would they find out? She didn't know but one small chance, they'd have to take it. If it took walking the length of a continent so be it.

They kept walking, stopping to make notes and eat as well. The day was peaceful, as beautiful as the first. Weiss enjoyed her time with Ilia. It was freeing to be out of the mountains and away from society. This world was… different.

The sun was larger than life at this time of day, beaming down on them with vicious intent. Weiss' cloak was heavy on her back but without it, her fair skin would burn.

Ilia was a lot better off, dancing about in her tank. It was colder up in the mountains than it was down here, obviously, but it was strange to see. Ilia spun in a circle, raising her arms to the sky.

Weiss chuckled but then something caught her eye. Something cresting a hill, like a dust cloud. But it was movement.

"Do you see that?" She grabbed Ilia's arm. "In the distance?"

Ilia jumped, skin shifting yellow before going pink with embarrassment. "What? Sorry, what are you talking about?" She narrowed her eyes and nodded, following Weiss' finger. "Movement. Quick movement." She paused. "Heading this way."

Weiss frowned. "Do you think…" it's people ?

Ilia didn't say anything but her hand touched her whip-sword. If it was people, were they friendly? The movement swept towards them with each passing second until she was able to make out the outline of a horse.

Actually, multiple horses, all riding in a pack towards them. And as they drew nearer, there were people sitting on their backs.

Weiss gasped. "It can't be! There are others out here!"

Ilia let out a whoop of delight. "This is unbelievable! Atlas isn't the only place that survived!"

Suddenly the horses swooped into view, thundering across the ground. She could hear them shouting to each other but those quieted down when they caught sight of them. The horses slowed to a stop as they approached.

"You! Those are Atlesian colours!" The woman at the head of the group said sharply. "Who are you?"

Weiss didn't draw her sword yet but she grabbed Ilia's arm. The riders wore nomadic clothes, light cloth to shield from the sun's rays but to be cool beneath. The woman's face was mostly cloaked by a see through black fabric but bright amber eyes were visible.

"Blake?" Ilia gasped.

The woman's expression froze. "I… that's impossible. Ilia ?"

"You know each other?" Weiss gasped. "Who is she?"

Blake's companions seemed just as confused as she was, except for one in the back. Ilia and Blake stared at each other like they'd seen a ghost.

"Here, get on." Blake urged her horse forward so she was in front of them. "Sun, let her ride with you."

A blond man in an open shirt rode his horse up to her, offering her a hand. He smiled brightly, akin to his name.

Weiss hesitated. Ilia knew Blake but she didn't. She didn't trust her. "Why? Can't we talk?"

Blake glanced back at the rest of her group, eyebrows furrowing. They were getting restless, muttering among themselves.

She shook her head. "Not here. It's not safe."

"What? What do you mean?"

"How long have you been out here?"

"... a day, give or take."

Someone in the group whistled. "You're lucky you haven't encountered anything then."

Something in Weiss' stomach dropped. "Anything? What are you talking about?" Was there danger in the wastelands after all? They had nothing but peace but the looks she was getting said there was.

"Blake, we need to move," a woman from behind Blake said. "Quickly.

"Do you trust her?" Weiss asked Ilia, well aware that Blake was listening.

Ilia didn't even hesitate. "With my life."

That was good enough for her. Weiss accepted Sun's hand and climbed onto the horse. It'd been a while since she'd ridden one. A yellow tail curled behind him, tucked close to his leg.

"Move out!" Blake yelled and they set off at a gallop.

Weiss glanced back. Something large was moving over the horizon, barely noticeable if not for the slight shift of the blurry sky. Whatever it was, it scared these people. She swallowed. What had the world become?


	3. Chapter 3

Weiss wrapped her arms around Sun's waist, clinging to him as Blake yelled for the group to move out. As a unit, the riders all set out, riding in the same direction they'd been heading in the first place. It appeared Weiss' usual course would be changed. Heading back to the Atlesian mountains suddenly seemed so far away. They were becoming mere blurs in the distance, icy peaks disappearing into the red sky.

Weiss looked back at the movement on the horizon. It was still moving, the dust cloud spreading with each second. Dust? Or was that smoke?

"Hold on, miss," Sun said back to her, tail sliding loosely around her. It was respectful enough to not make her feel uncomfortable but enough to hold her securely to him.

Weiss tightened her grip on his waist. She'd ridden horses when she was younger but since the flee to the mountains had never gotten the opportunity again. Yet the rhythmic bouncing was almost calming in a way. Given the situation, that was a life saving.

Ilia met her eye from where she clung to Blake. She smiled, mouthing something that Weiss didn't quite get. There was one word she recognised: okay. Weiss smiled back. She trusted Ilia more than herself. If she was okay, then so was Weiss.

The riders rode for what seemed like hours but Weiss knew from the sky that it was closer to only two. Each second they ran further and further. The dust cloud was lessening, whether it had been left behind or stopped. Either way, they were losing it, the threat left behind. The horses cantered down a hill into what seemed like a crater, hollowed down with mushy ground. If Weiss wasn't mistaken in her studies, there once was a lake here. There wasn't anymore. Instead, steam billowed from cracks in the earth like geysers. Remnants of what once was.

"We can rest here," Blake announces, pulling her horse to a stop. "Let the horses recover and take a break. Everyone remain on high alert."

Weiss unwrapped herself from Sun, unsure of what to say now. He took it upon himself to drop off his horse and help her down. Ever the gentleman, even if his attire said otherwise. Not that she blamed him, if her skin wasn't so fair, she'd be showing a lot more skin in this heat.

"Hey," Ilia bounced up to her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Me? Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Ilia smiled, eyes bright and genuine. "Okay? I just found out my childhood best friend is alive, along with others from my home. I am more than okay."

Childhood best friend? Weiss glanced over at Blake, noting the black cat ears perched on her head. A faunus, like Ilia. Ilia didn't talk much about her past and Weiss never pushed her. There had been tales but never any names for the pain sometimes was too much. She'd been trapped in Atlas with no hope for the rest of the world. Weiss never wanted her relive her pain.

Then Blake turned, catching her gaze. Weiss ducked her head, glancing back at Ilia. She beamed from ear to ear. "I'm glad for you."

"Ilia and-? Sorry, I didn't get your name." Blake appeared beside them, offering a canteen of water. "I think we need to talk."

"I'm Weiss Schnee," Weiss said.

The moment she said that, something flickered in Blake's eyes and it wasn't positive. Recognition that make her lip curl. "Schnee? Ilia… um…" She glanced back and forth between them.

"No, no! She isn't like that!" Ilia said hurriedly. "I promise, Weiss is my best friend. I wouldn't be here without her."

Weiss was young when the world ended in flames but she knew there was some bad history with her family. It appeared that she may have been the only one to have forgotten that.

Blake nodded. "Okay. Come over here."

Sun joined them, taking a long swig from his water. Tousled blond hair and a warm smile, a goofy expression. He seemed like the troublemaking kind of person but there was a warmth rather than an annoyance.

"We didn't know there were Atlesian survivors."

"We didn't know there were any other survivors. How long has it been habitable down here? How did you get across here?"

One of Blake's ears twitched. "Habitable… is debatable. Creatures survive here but we don't do as well. It's only now some edible plants are starting to grow." She paced over, glancing over the ridge. "It's a new biome. Unknown… foreign..."

How much did they know? This was essential to their expedition. If they could live down here, then so could the Atlesians. Finally they could come down from their icy mountains and see what was left of their world. They could rebuild society again.

"But how? Menagerie is low lying compared to Atlas," Ilia said. "I was certain my home was gone."

Blake tilted her head. "It is gone. The fire lay waste to what was there but the people lived." She paced back. "The sea faunus, they knew where to stay. Ash may have settled on the water but fire couldn't touch us. We lived waist deep in water for years."

They ran to the sea, to fire's natural enemy. If they lived, surely there were others. Cities, towns, built against the oceans. The world tried to wipe them out but humankind always found a way. They were survivors.

"That's incredible…"

"My question is, what was that? The dust cloud on the horizon."

Sun and Blake exchanged looks. "We don't know. We've seen it from mountains, roaming across the wastelands. It moves and settles, no pattern or reason."

"How long will it stay here?"

Blake frowned. "Can't say. Maybe a week or two. It moves a lot but consistently stays."

A week was too much. Weiss and Ilia had already been away two days.

"We have to go home," she said.

"It isn't safe out there," Blake said immediately. "Come with us. We'll return you to the Atlesian mountains when this area has cleared."

Weiss looked at Ilia. Behind her, a hiss of steam escaped from the ground, wafting into the air with a glory of heat. They knew nothing of this land now. Left alone, she had no idea what they'd encounter. What once was beautiful suddenly seemed so much darker.

Besides, these were Ilia's people; her friends and family that she'd thought perished in the flames. It was the least they could do was visit them.

"Okay," Weiss agreed. "Where will we be going?"

Sun smiled, bumping hips with Blake. "To our new home. Menagerie of the Sea."

* * *

No matter how hard she tried, Yang could never catch the horses. She always saw them, running in a pack—or herd as they were horses—across the wastelands. She knew what that meant. That there were people out there. She never got near enough to see them but she knew there had to be riders. No horses ran in such a uniform shape, with such direction and intent.

For years she'd been alone and she finally caught sight of human life.

But they always turned, fleeing from her.

Yang watched the horses crest the horizon and screamed in frustration, knowing that once again they'd escaped her. She was left alone again.

"Why?" Her voice was rusty, hoarse from disuse but it was so achingly human. "Why… run?"

She'd once thought to wait for them, if they saw a person waiting with her fire or her fury, they might stop. But no one came near her. The dust cloud lingered behind her, always so close, her destruction left in her wake.

Yang sat on a rock, straining her eyes to catch the last tail of a horse as it fled from her. She wasn't fast enough to ever catch them, despite her new powers. She rode the flames like her own steed, tearing the ground asunder where she went. But she was always too slow.

Around her, a few creatures popped their heads out to say hello. They were drawn to her, like moth to flame. Her only friends in the burnt world.

"Hello," she murmured, breaking her voice. "I… I don't suppose you know why either…" She started coughing.

Cupping her hands, she shovelled lava into her mouth. It was her source of substance now. She couldn't remember the last time she ate actual food. Years and years ago, when the ground was green.

A lizard crawled onto her leg warm little body sparking a connection. Yang reached down to pet it, stroking its supple scales. It nuzzled her, making a small chittering sound.

"What? Different humans?"

It wasn't just her own sighting of the horses that led her to believe there were survivors out there. But the wildlife talked to her. This little lizard spoke of humans that weren't like the ones on the horses. That they walked around with curiosity at the things around them.

It was a long time since there'd been a change in her world.

Yang fed the lizard a few drops of lava, asking gently for more information. Unfortunately there wasn't much. The lizard, while smart, was still just a lizard. She loved hearing about people. It was the closest connection she had to another human being. She longed to see them, to touch them. It had been years.

"... I am very sad," Yang murmured, tickling the lizards chin. "And lonely."

She'd never said that aloud before. She'd thought she should be grateful that she lived against all odds. And she was. But there was a bitterness inside her that she was so isolated and alone.

Another lizard appeared, bigger than the one on her lap, hissing gently. While the one she held was a light yellow, this was one was jet black. They coiled on her stomach, hissing and playfully spitting fire at each other.

"Hmm? We can be friends," she agreed. "I'm Yang. And you…" Black and yellow, sitting before her. "You can be Bumble and you can be Bee."

Maybe it was sad, naming the lizards as if they were hers. She remembered having a bike was she was younger, before the world burned. It was black and yellow as well. Her heart ached. She lost her sister and dad that day.

Bumble coiled against her belly, strangely cold for the warmth of the land. It was refreshing.

Yang sighed, lying down on stone. Gaze cast towards the sky, she saw nothing but ashy dark clouds. She was alone here, left by herself while they fled from her.

Bee nestled by her arm, seeming content with their conversation. A small smile tugged at her lips. Well, maybe not so alone.

* * *

 **If you are interested in quicker updates, please read on A03 (** **/works/17423324/chapters/41017631) as I am far more active on there! Thank you!**


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